Samuel is a boy name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Samuel means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Samuel across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Samuel has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Samuel is a boy name of Hebrew origin meaning “God has heard”. a biblical prophet.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 823,085 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 108,150 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 5,928 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 1,955 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 5,815 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 16,125 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Samuel per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 2001 (14,845/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1997 (6,367/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2009 (238/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2005 (209/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2001 (103/yr).
Samuel has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 2001, when it ranked #35 nationally (given to 20,509 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 2000s.
Samual · Samella · Sameul · Simuel · Samul · Samael · Sammuel · Samule
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